


I Stay With You

by call_it_a_miracle



Series: When The Stars Align [3]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Cliffhangers, Demons, F/M, Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Hints of Insanity, Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Better, M/M, Mephisto Pheles is a Little Shit, Slow Build, Then a little better, i'm so sorry in advance, lots of demons, then worse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 07:14:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20484938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_it_a_miracle/pseuds/call_it_a_miracle
Summary: Yukio and Renzõ's escape from the Illuminati leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Now, Rin struggles to balance his identity crisis and his little brother laying in a hospital bed while his friends work hard to keep True Cross Order on its feet.





	1. Chapter 1

“Anything?”

“Nothing, sir. They barely even look us in the eye.”

Mephisto smirks, leaning back on his desk. “Good, good.”

Bon and Izumo share a look, not letting it last for more than a fraction of a second before turning back to the Demon King.

“What should we do now?” Izumo asks.

Mephisto’s eyes shift between hers to Bon’s. He clasps his hands firmly on his lap and smirks smuggly. “Let them rest some more, then we’ll initiate the second part of the interrogation.”

Bon frowns, shifting his weight from one foot to the other where he stood. “And what is that going to be?”

“Nothing physical, if that’s what you’re afraid of. No, I’m going to let my little brother take over for a little while, that’s all.”

“Amaimon?” Izumo’s dotted eyebrows rise, almost reaching her hairline. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, sir?”

“No, not Amaimon.” The Demon King’s eyes shift to the back of the room where Rin, Shiemi and Konekomaru sat.

The latter had just gotten back from Kyoto, a trip that took longer than he’d expected considering the urgency of the situation. He’d been held back by the Kyoto Branch Office which was still overworking itself to manage all the hoards of demons that threatened to overthrow the city. But now, almost two months later he’s back, explaining the new delicate state of the koumaken.

Bon and Izumo follow the Demon’s gaze to the back of the room, eyes widening in surprise.

“What about Miss Kirigakure? Don’t you think she’s got a better shot at this, being close to Yukio and all?” Izumo asks, keeping her eyes glued to her friends.

Rin’s fluffy white tail twitches behind him. Even though he’s sitting on the other side of the surprisingly big room and his friends are making a point of keeping their voices down, he can hear every single word they’re saying. Mephisto knows this – he _knows_ the reach of most of Rin’s newly-acquired abilities – and he basks in the smug feeling of knowing that Rin _knows_ while Bon and Izumo wait for his response.

“Shura-kun is still recovering from her wounds. Five broken ribs and bruised lungs are a delicate manner for such a fragile human.” He finally says, resting a hand to the side of his face lazily. “Even a Demon such as myself needs time for recovery. I’m still not at my full power after I got shot just a month ago.” He takes out a purple handkerchief and choughs into it, dramatically rubbing his point in.

Truth be told, his condition is as best as it would get. His human body has already entered an irreversible state of necrosis and the only thing that keeps him contained is his own magic slowing the flow of time affecting his body. Though, if things go according to plan, this won’t be too much of a problem in the near future. He can afford to have some more fun before the situation naturally slips out of his immediate reach.

Bon’s frown deepens, crossing his arms over his chest and flinching when his shoulders scream in protest. “What will you have him do then?”

“That’s up to him.” Mephisto snaps his fingers and in a cloud of pink smoke appears a cheap cup of instant ramen noodles. He sets it down on his desk, watching the steam swirl around. A content smile appears on his face, and he leaves it there for a few seconds before looking up at the astonished exwires that still stood before him. “Oh, sorry. Would you like some?”

Izumo shakes her head, not to answer him but to let her angered frustration out before it built up to dangerous amounts inside her. Is _this_ guy _seriously _the second most powerful Demon King?

Bon ghosts a hand over his face, taking deep breaths and walking away towards his friends.

Izumo blinks a few times before joining Bon, begging her tired legs to just take her there as soon as possible. She unceremoniously collapses on one of the white couches and looks up at the others.

“…so, don’t use it unless it’s really necessary.” Konekomaru says, holding out the koumaken to Rin. “The master said it won’t be as easily repaired if it breaks further.”

Rin takes his sword, cradling it in his arms. Now that he knows just how important it is to him, he’ll make sure to care for it. “Really, I don’t know how to thank you for doing this.”

Konekomaru offers him a small smile. “No need. Anything for a friend.”

Rin returns the smile almost painfully, feeling his heart warm up and twist sourly in his chest at the same time. Shiemi’s voice echoes at the back of his mind.

_“I don’t hate you, and I’m sure none of our friends could ever hate you, either.” _

She’d been right before, but will they still be his friends once they learn the truth about him? He shakes himself, tightening his grip in his sword, not allowing his thoughts to go any further.

“You saw my dad?” Bon asks, picking up the conversation. “How is he?”

“The master’s doing fine. The Inn looks quite busy these days.” The boy sighs, leaning back on his seat. “It’s like they _know_ something’s about to happen.”

“Huh.” Is all Bon can bring himself to say. He follows his friend and lets himself sink into the comfortable cushioned couch. His back still screamed in pain, though it was much more tolerable now, specially with the shots he’s been getting from the medical team these past few days. Still, it annoyed him to have to go through this, all because he got thrown around like a rag doll by those zombies in Romania.

He looks across the space to where Izumo seems to be dozing off on the couch. Really, he can’t blame her. He, too, has had some difficulty falling asleep at night but he’s always kept himself in a strict schedule, and so he’s able to function more on little sleep.

Rin eyes them both, sensing the heavy atmosphere and sighs, long and hard, before standing up. He stretches his arms over his head and lets his tail stick straight up behind him for a couple seconds before letting go, feeling every single muscle contract. He winces at the feeling, and he notices the pitiful jealousy in Bon’s eyes, longing for his aching muscles to be able to regenerate themselves the same way. The Demon Prince gives him a small, sad smile and turns to the desk on the other side of the room.

“If you don’t mind, we’re all exhausted. Just tell us when you want us to come back here so we can go.”

All eyes turn to Mephisto, who’s currently busy enjoying a mouthful of artificially flavoured chicken ramen. He swallows it quickly and clears his throat. “Just a second, there’s someone missing here.” He snaps his fingers again, and this time a cloud of green smoke invades the middle of the room.

An all too familiar, green-haired boy appears before them. Clad in his dishevelled version of a True Cross Academy uniform, the troublesome Demon King stands out like a sore thumb in the carefully-decorated office.

“Huh?” Amaimon looks around, his eyes landing on Shiemi sitting quietly on the couch. Rin’s arm darts protectively over her shoulders as he glares at the Demon King, a furious fire lighting up in his eyes. Said green-haired boy’s eyes widen, and he quickly turns to Mephisto. “Big brother, why would you call me here?”

“I have a job for you.” Mephisto says, smirking. “I need you to stand guard at The Old Boy’s Dormitory from now on. Don’t let absolutely anything in, not even your precious little goblins.”

The younger Demon King opens his mouth to complain, dread and disbelief clouding his inhuman bright eyes, but a glare from Mephisto shuts him right up. Rin doesn’t feel threatened in the least bit, and he wonders why a Demon King such as Amaimon would be scared of a clown like Mephisto. He squares up, shooting a glare at both Demons.

“I don’t want that asshole anywhere near my friends, thank you very much. I can take care of all of us.” The blue-eyed boy motions at his friends to stand up, and he starts to leave the room. His arm still lays protectively over Shiemi’s shoulders, and the girl can’t find it within herself to do anything other than let a pink flush take over her cheeks.

Mephisto stands up from his desk abruptly, almost knocking his fancy executive chair over. “Are you sure? You can’t use your sword anymore. How good are you at controlling those flames of yours?”

Rin stops dead in his tracks. Images flash before his eyes, from him going feral on his first fight with Amaimon to the lives he took the moment he was born, surrounding his own mother in flames. His hands wrap themselves into tight fists by his sides, letting go of Shiemi as small licks of fire slowly crawl their way up his body. He opens his mouth in a snarl, ready to yell at the Demon King when a small, cold hand wraps itself around one of his fists. He looks over at Shiemi, who looks at him with a soft, solemn expression.

The Demon Prince sighs, closing his eyes tightly and taking a deep breath before speaking again. “Fine.” He doesn’t even bother with looking back at the Demon Kings. “But if he dares come anywhere close to them, he’s dead.”

Mephisto’s smirk turns sombre. With a simple thought he stills time in the room, feeling another tiny bit of his essence leave his human body to incorporate itself into the universe. He digs his sharp claw-like nails into the wood of his desk to ground himself. His legs shake badly underneath him, and he starts to regret the cheap ramen noodles when his stomach twists in protest. 

A shiver runs down Rin’s spine and the icy white hairs in his nape and tail stand up straight, immediately sensing the change in the air. He doesn’t bother with looking around, knowing that it’s just him and the Demon King for now. “What?” He asks, clearly annoyed.

“You _know_ The Fated Day is incredibly close.” Mephisto’s voice is strained, and that makes Rin turn to him in surprise. The raw look of pain behind the Demon King’s inhuman eyes pierces right through Rin’s demon heart, squeezing it in an ice-cold grip. “We can not risk _anyone_ or _anything_ getting eliminated before fulfilling their duties.”

Rin blinks once, twice – really letting those words sink in – before time is restored to its natural flow inside Johan Faust’s office.

~°~

A relieved sigh can barely be heard over the constant beeping of machines in the hospital room. Renzõ carefully turns his head to the right where Yukio lays, now fast asleep, in an uncomfortable hospital bed like the one he’s currently lying on. A plethora of machines surround the boy, preying on him like vultures to a decomposing carcass.

His eyes shift from the boy’s bruised face to the soft rise and fall of his white-clad chest. A blanket covers the bottom half of his body, leaving his bandage-covered arms and chest exposed. He looks at peace, considering the circumstances though it’s understandable considering the mess that chased them on their way back to True Cross Academy.

He smiles bitterly at himself. He knew nothing would ever be the same anymore, but the clear look of desperation and disappointment in Bon’s eyes every single time he walked into the hospital room him and Yukio had been haphazardly thrown into has been a little too much for him to handle. Still, it’s been easy to stay silent, keeping his eyes glued to the ceiling while Yukio laid unconscious a couple feet away.

Then him and Kamiki started bombarding him with questions, and the guards that stood permanently inside the too-bright room got even closer to him, peering pressure. As a spy he’d been trained to handle situations like this, but he’s so tired and overall _done_ to bring himself to block all emotion off. Still, he remained silent. The only sound she’d allow himself to let out were the occasional coughs that wrecked his body and left him gasping for air and in pain.

And, oh how he wishes he could hold those back too. Only once he’d managed to catch a glimpse of the pity in his (ex)friend’s eyes, and the pain of it gave place to that anger and stubbornness that has kept him alive up to this point. Is something he hates, but it’s also something he can cling onto now other than Yukio.

After a couple, awful hours, both Izumo and Bon would leave, taking that asphyxiating tension with them. When the door closed behind them, and when the guards naturally retracted to the back of the hospital room, he’d let himself _breathe_. He’d cling to the bleach-white sheets with tight, bruised fists and his eyes would sting with unshed tears. The ghost of that respirator that had been attached to Yukio for the first few days, now replaced with countless other monitors lulled him to close his eyes and escape the room for a bit. Sadly, sometimes the rhythmic, short beeping sounds reminded him too much of-

Renzõ cringes as he hears the haunting sounds of firearms and growling demons in his head, ready to come alive in a vivid display of colour and emotions once he dares let go of the comforting darkness behind his eyelids. His left side burns at the painful memory and he reaches out to the side where the IV bag hung just above his head, opening the valve to allow a slightly bigger dose of morphine enter his bloodstream.

He sighs, returning his shaking hand to his side and waiting for the pain to leave his body. Drowsiness slowly clouds his mind, and he reminds himself that he’s allowed to let go before finally allowing himself to give in into his exhaustion.

The nightmares are bad – they _always_ have been – but over the years of heavy mental training he’s managed to find ways to keep himself aware of the fact that they are not real. Part of having a familiar kin to Armumahel includes constant lucid dreaming, which has been both a blessing and a curse for the pink haired boy. Most of the time he’s aware of the fact that he’s dreaming. Unfortunately, this doesn’t give him the ability to actually control whatever his subconscious decides to bring forward in his sleep.

His head gets lighter and lighter, and he barely has time to reach up again and close the valve before sleep takes over him.

~°~

_His whole body screamed in pain as he ran through the arctic tundra. Cold air hit the exposed skin of his face, keeping him awake and alert. His k’rik jingled in the death grip of his left hand, holding a protective barrier between him and the Onikuma that were currently trying to hunt them down. _

_He turned briefly to his right where Yukio stood not more than a few inches away holding the flaming twin guns he’d taken from the Illuminati. He panted once, twice, before twisting his upper body and landing a blue-flamed shot at one of the bear-like demons. _

_The Onikuma cried out in a deafening roar before falling on the slippery, frozen ground. Yukio smirked, his eyes lingering on the demon’s corpse. _

_However, the joy was short lived as a loud growl echoed to his left. An Onikuma was dangerously close to the pink haired boy, who was still trying to fight off two more of the bear-like demons. His grip on the twin guns tightened, and without thinking too much about it he pounced onto it. _

_These Onikumas were gigantic, much bigger than they should be, all thanks to the Illuminati’s experiments. Yukio wasn’t scared though, he’d lost the capacity to fear demons a while ago, and with great confidence he pulled both triggers a few times. The Onikuma growled in pain, halting its running. _

_Yukio’s smirk returned, readying for the final blow. His finger hovered over the trigger, his legs moving on their own as he moved over the slippery surface. Time slowed down, allowing him to slowly breath in and out, fixing his eyes on the target. _

_“Watch out!” Renzõ’s voice was drowned out by the loud **bang** of Yukio’s guns. _

_Yukio’s world was flipped upside down as an extraordinary, unexpected force hit him right between his shoulder blades, punching the breath out of his lungs. He fell onto the thankfully soft ground with a grunt. He blinked hard, stunned, and barely had time to tighten the grip on his guns again when Renzõ started to pull him back on his feet. _

_A black fire wall stood between them and half a dozen angry Onikumas. _

_“Are you insane?! They can actually kill you now, you know?!” _

_The pink haired boy shook him slightly, making sure he wasn’t hurt. _

_“Sorry,” Yukio apologised. He sighed, reaching up to adjust his glasses, frowning when he remembered they weren’t there anymore. Renzõ gave him a sad little smile before turning his attention back to the wall of flames. It flickered, making the flames dance erratically on the pure white snow. _

_“Shit,” Renzõ murmured under his breath. He turned to Yukio, who nodded back at him before running off again. The pink-haired boy sighed, following after him. He felt the flames give up behind them, and the Onikuma resumed their chase. Taking deep breaths and concentrating on his target, Renzõ twisted his k’rik, waving it in the air whilst mumbling a quick prayer to Yamantaka. The demon responded with a strong pull on his soul, almost making him lose his footing. _

_Yukio turned to look back at the boy, noticing the obvious strain in his face, and immediately got closer to the pink-haired boy. “You good?” He panted out._

_“Yeah, keep shooting.” Renzõ sighed, ignoring the protest in his chest. He called out for Yamantaka, instructing him into a specific attack. _

_A turmoil of black flames erupts behind the boys, sending the furious Onikuma flying back. The boys push forward, finally reaching the mountains. They dive through the frozen bushes that peak over the cold grass underneath them and search desperately for a place to hide. _

_“Over there!” Yukio whisper-shouts, looking at a spot around twenty feet away. Renzõ squints, ignoring the ache in his freezing skin, and spots the dark cave. Perfect. _

_They turn back to where the Onikuma had stood, only to find the entire place empty. Too empty. They slow down, pushing away from the mountain and standing back to back in the open field. They strain to control their loud panting, but no other sounds can be heard. _

_“Do you think they’re gone?” Yukio asks once he finds his voice. _

_“I don’t-”_

_He’s cut off by a loud roar. _

_“Shit.” Both boys lift their weapons, ready to fight as near a dozen Onikuma approach them. _

_“I thought these things could only be found in Japan?!” Renzõ screams, swinging his k’rik and sending a black ball of fire towards the raging demons. _

_“Must be the damn Illuminati.” Yukio screams back, shooting blue fire left and right. _

_They manage to slow the giant demons down, but eventually they get too close. All too soon, they are surrounded by gigantic, growling demon bears. _

_The pink-haired boy groans out in frustration. “Cover me!” He turns back to look at Yukio for a split second before throwing himself at half a dozen Onikuma. _

_Yukio’s eyes widen, but he’s left with no other choice but to cover him. ‘What a hypocrite’ he can’t help himself to think. ‘Just a few minutes ago he was freaking out over me pulling the same shit, though I guess he does have a powerful familiar to help him and… **I’ve got nothing**’. He lifts both guns and shoots at the Onikuma, focusing his attacks on the specific weak spots near their furry chests. He keeps his distance, leaving Renzõ to fight at a closer range. _

_Meanwhile Renzõ keeps a death grip with both hands on his k’rik, muttering a prayer to his familiar. He swings it around the air, forming a complex shield to guard him on the left while Yamantaka took physical form to his right. His eyes glow with dark fire, and he feels his whole body go numb as power vibrates through his bloodstream and into every crevice of his being. With nothing but a simple thought and a quick prayer, a wave of black fire washes over the entire field, dragging down everything it touched. _

_Then, just as it entered him, the power leaves. His entire body sags, and the last thing he remembers is the world becoming a blurry mess before everything goes black. _

~°~

The pink-haired boy bolts awake, sitting up in the uncomfortable hospital bed. The two guards in the room look at him, their guns loaded and ready in their hands. He rises his left hand – the only one that isn’t currently handcuffed to the bed – and looks at them with wild eyes. He fights to still his breathing, and the guards look at him for what feels like an eternity before finally clicking the safe back on their guns and stepping back to their corner of the room.

Renzõ sighs again, long and hard, and lies back on the bed. He looks at Yukio’s still sleeping form. Judging by the fact that it’s already dark outside, the brown-haired boy has been out for at least six hours. Four of those had been enough to give Renzõ that nice little trip down memory lane courtesy of his subconscious and featuring some of Yukio’s thoughts thanks to Yamantaka.

It’s harder to tell he’s dreaming when it comes to memories. Specially when they’re as detailed as this one. He can still see Yukio’s wild dark hair, or the way the skin of his hands cracked and bled from the cold even though he’d kept on the stupid gloves Konekomaru had given him a few years before.

Now, looking at the boy finally get some well-deserve rest gives him enough peace to try and relax himself. It won’t be more than a few more hours before the gruelling questioning starts again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The Fated Day is almost here, little brother, and from now on I need you to understand that duty and choice are two completely different things from which you’ll have to chose in order to save everything and everyone you’ve ever loved.”

Rin carefully opens the door to the Old Boy’s Dormitory at True Cross Academy and is immediately greeted by a worried Kuro.

_“Rin! Are you ok? You were out for longer than usual! We were getting worried here!”_ The cat-sidhe asked, rubbing his nose onto Rin’s pant leg. Ukobach came running from the kitchen, showing up his fangs as he smiled up at the exwires.

“Sorry,” Rin reached a hand down to pet Kuro, shooting an apologetic smile at Ukobach. “Konekomaru just arrived from Kyoto and we stayed for his report.”

Kuro turns curious eyes to the small crowd, searching until he finds the short, sweet boy that loves to play with him and give him treats. With an excited meow, Kuro jumps into the boy’s arms. Konekomaru chuckles softly, petting the cat demon eagerly.

Rin smiles at them, turning back to Ukobach. “Hey man, mind if we have some dinner?”

The red demon nods enthusiastically, rushing back into the kitchen. The small crowd of teens makes their way inside the dorm and settle in the old cafeteria. The lights are dim, and Rin has to wonder if they always have been this way. He’s stuck looking up at them in slight confusion when a small hand reaches up to shake his shoulder.

“Rin? Are you alright?” Shiemi’s bell-like voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

The Demon Prince sighs, looking at the back of the room where Amaimon sat cross-legged. His green, scaly tail flopped rhythmically on the hardwood floor as he doubled himself over his green Nintendo DS. At least the Demon King had something to busy himself over that doesn’t involve any real-life fighting.

He turns back to Shiemi, grabbing her cold hand into his abnormally warm one and squeezes it tightly. “As best as I can be.”

And it’s true. Shura was out of danger but still recovering from her injuries, he’d received a text from Godaïn saying he was a little freaked out by the sudden demonic attacks but glad that there were people out there fighting to get rid of them. Bon and Izumo had come back victorious from their impromptu mission in Romania catching traitorous bastards and Konekomaru had just arrived from Kyoto with his sword and good news on the Kyoto Branch Office.

But most importantly, his little brother was alive and free from The Illuminati – and Satan – ‘s grasp.

Shiemi smiles softly at him, still blushing at the fact that Rin’s hand is holding hers and none of them have let go. She knows that things are incredibly hard for the half-demon, but the fact that he’s determined to keep fighting is more than enough to allow her to stick by his side and make sure they survive this.

Looking around the room at her friends she realizes that everyone feels the same way.

They eat in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company. It’s not until their plates are completely empty that Bon clears his throat softly, flinching at the sharp jap of pain that hits him on his bruised back and ribs. He locks eyes with Rin, still not used to their new icy glow, and sighs.

“I didn’t want to say this in front of Mephisto, just in case.” He says, taking a deep breath. “Your brother is still too out of it to be considered a viable interrogation subject, so we’re not too concerned with his lack of response, but Renzõ is a trained spy. I’ve known that guy all my life and I can assure you that there’s more to what he’s trying to make us believe.”

“He’s trying too hard to stay silent.” Izumo continues, looking down at her lap. “That jerk is way too annoying to just randomly mute himself.”

“He’s hiding something big. Bigger than the whole Illuminati spy thing.” Bon sighs, looking down at the table. “There are no signs of him being under a contract like in Dragulescu’s case, so the fact that he’s trying so hard to keep it secret makes me think that something bigger than his life is at stake.”

“And that something _has_ to be related to Satan.” Izumo looks up at Rin, her face settled in a neutral frown. “We know that the Illuminati found a way to get Satan out of your brother, but what we don’t know is what they _did_ with Satan. They found a way to make the clone experiments work for the Demon Kings, but does that mean they found a way to make a vessel for Satan? Or did they sent him back to Gehenna to wait for ‘the right time’ or…?”

Rin shifts uncomfortably in his seat, but before he can answer a voice cuts him off.

“Father is in Assiah.” Amaimon says from his place at the back of the room. His eyes are still trained to the small screens, and his clawed fingers press furiously at the small green buttons of the gaming console. “I can feel him. And I’m sure little brother can feel him too.”

The Demon Prince clenches his jaw, snarling. “Don’t call me that. And no, I can’t.”

Suddenly, the Earth King snaps his game closed, turning curious eyes at Rin. He stands up, and graciously sits right next to him. Rin tightens his hold on Shiemi’s hand, settling himself between the girl and the Demon King.

“You can’t?” Amaimon asks, leaning into Rin like a curious dog. “Not even a little bit?”

Truth be told, deep down Rin knows he can. But he’d rather die than have that awful, torturous reminder sitting right at the back of his mind. So, he pushes it back, like he always loves to push shit back, and ignores it in favour of focusing himself on other, more important things.

“No.”

Amaimon hums. “You really are half-human then. Humans lie a lot.”

“And Demons don’t?” Rin asks, arching an icy white eyebrow.

“We do, but I see no need to lie when it comes to Father.” Amaimon leans back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Does Mephisto feel the same way?” Rin sits up straight, his tail rising gracefully behind him in an attempt to intimidate the Demon King.

Amaimon doesn’t seem affected, though. He looks around the room with a bored expression on his face before finally setting his acid green eyes back on Rin’s. “I don’t know what brother’s plans are. He’s a very confusing Demon.”

“He is.” Rin’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “I mean, the only reason why you’re sticking with him and doing what he tells you to is because he gave you your vessel.”

“Indeed.” Amaimon smirks. “He gave me freedom, so I gave him my services. Besides, he _is _my older brother. And as the Earth King I’d much rather be in Assiah than Gehenna.”

Rin hums, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. “You’d happily kill everyone in this room, if you were allowed to.”

Everyone in the room freezes up, their eyes going wide in horrified startlement.

Amaimon blinks slowly, leaning his head to the side in consideration. “Maybe, I don’t know.” He shrugs, looking up at the ceiling distractedly before looking back at Rin. “Before, I was angry and bored. Brother never really trusted me to walk Assiah, but when Fujimoto died, he allowed me to explore this Japan place he seemed to be so fond of. And now that I understand the humans better, I don’t think I’d wish such destruction over all of them. I mean, I do enjoy confrontation, and destruction, but not as much as I’ve enjoyed my time here. I understand why big brother insists on staying here. But I’m also afraid of what Father would do if he considers our doings as a betrayal.”

There’s a short pause. Rin keeps his eyes glued to the Demon King suspiciously as the others process Amaimon’s words.

“Besides, big brother believes you’re all useful, so you must be. For what, though… we’ll find out soon enough.”

With that, the Demon King stands up and disappears down the long, dark hallways.

That night, Rin has a hard time falling asleep. He lies awake in his bed, his eyes finding themselves on Yukio’s empty side. His heart twists painfully in his chest at the reminder that his little brother is currently handcuffed to a hospital bed as he heals slowly from whatever the fuck those Illuminati assholes did to him.

Bon’s words echo in his head, making him feel even worse.

_“Your brother is still too out of it to be considered a viable interrogation subject, so we’re not too concerned with his lack of response…”_

Is this it? Did his insanely smart, strong, and overall amazing little brother finally break?

Of course he did. The moment he busted into the Prime Minister’s conference, gun in hand, ready to-

To, what? Who knows? But it obviously wasn’t anything good. And then Rin had somehow convinced the others to help him break Yukio out, only for it to backfire into _that_.

Rin flinches as he feels the ghosts of bullet wounds prickle at his forehead, his throat, his heart…

He closes his eyes, and he’s immediately overthrown by memories of that day when Shiemi had busted into his room, screaming and crying until he finally found the strength to wake up.

~°~

_“Rin! Rin! Please wake up! Riiiiiin!” Shiemi cries out, jumping onto Rin’s cot with both Kuro and Nii-chan violently shaking him awake. _

_Rin groans, barely holding himself back from throwing blind punches at whoever dared wake him up from his well-deserved slumber. He opens one eye, keeping the other buried within his pillow, and fights against the bright lights until Shiemi’s red, blotchy face comes into view. _

_Alarm quickly settles in him, making him sit up abruptly. Kuro hisses, shaking himself from under the blankets. He climbs into Rin’s lap and nags at his wrists, speaking in a ‘We have to go, we have to go, we have to go’ mantra. _

_“What’s wrong?!” He asks, grabbing the crying girl by the shoulders and gently shaking her. His hair is a mess, and a trail of dried-up drool covers his right cheek, but neither of them cares. “Shiemi?! What’s happening?! Are you ok?!”_

_A sob leaves the girl’s mouth as she shakes her head, letting Rin wrap his arms around her in an awkward hug. He carefully moves the girl until they’re both sitting on his bed. She catches a glimpse of Yukio’s empty bed and another sob shakes its way through her. Rin can only hold her close to his side until she finally calms down enough to speak. _

_“I-It’s Yuki-chan. H-he’s in t-the ho- hospital,” she says, rubbing at her eyes in frustration. She needs to pull herself together, for Rin. “Him a-and Shima-kun arrived l-last night.” _

_Rin’s entire body tenses up at her words. Mephisto had told him about the weird ‘altercation’ the Illuminati had suffered a while back, and he’d hoped with every fibre of his being that his little brother was ok. _

_A million questions cross his mind like how did the both of them manage to escape? Did they come back to True Cross voluntarily? Or were they captured as soon as they escaped? _

_His mind twists and turns with these questions, but his mouth is smarter, and it runs with the one thing that matters more to him right that instant:_

_“Is he ok?” _

_Shiemi sniffs once, still wiping at her face with the sleeve of the pink sweater she wore. “I-I don’t know. Izumo just sh-showed up to t-tell me, then ran b-back to the hospital. Her and Suguro-kun were p-put in charge by Arch Knights Lucy Yang a-and Osceola Redarm. Yuki-chan was t-taken to t-the intensive c-care unit. That’s a-all I know.”_

_The whole trip from the dormitory to the hospital is a blur to him. He doesn’t even remember changing out of his pyjamas into descent clothing, much less actually walking into True Cross Knights General Hospital. When his foggy mind finally clears out, he’s met face to face with those god-awful, inhuman eyes of Mephisto. The Demon King requests to talk to Rin alone, and he’s so ready to tell him to fuck off but Shiemi stops him. She squeezes his hand reassuringly, giving him a soft smile before letting go and disappearing somewhere in the desperate crowd of injured exorcists. _

_“Things are starting to take a delicate turn,” Mephisto says, keeping his voice soft yet firm. He was wearing his white exorcist uniform, a bandage still wrapped around his head. “We should thread really carefully from now on.”_

_“What do you know? How did he escape?” Rin’s voice is shaky, still raspy from sleep, but the fire behind his words isn’t missed by the Demon King. _

_Mephisto smirks, motioning wildly with his gloved hands. “From what I’ve heard, it was a magnificent endeavour. A theatrical masterpiece that has Shakespeare rolling around in his grave in envy. Beautiful, exceptional…” his smirk grows slightly, and his eyes shift to the window beside him. “…romantic.” _

_Rin growls lowly, gripping the purple coat collar and pulling the tall Demon down so Rin towered over him. “Quit playing around and speak already.” _

_Mephisto’s eyes meet Rin’s, and his smirk grows impossibly bigger. “I don’t know much but judging by their injuries their escape took several gruesome days. Okumura-sensei and my spy are stronger than The Order thought.”_

_A small silence sits between them. _

_“I need to see my brother.” _

_Rin turns around, ready to head down the long hallways in search of his younger twin when Mephisto’s gloved hand clasps his shoulder in a tight hold. The Demon Prince tries to shake him off but Mephisto doesn’t budge. “Really, you have to stop acting like such a child.” _

_Rin shoots him a glare. “And you need to stop being a kryptonite asshole.”_

_“You mean cryptid?” Mephisto says, placing his other hand over his mouth, very obviously suppressing a laugh. _

_Rin’s glare intensifies. “Let me see my brother.” _

_“No.” The Demon King recovers his composure immediately, pressing his hold on Rin even tighter. “You can not interfere. Not yet.”_

_“Why the fuck not?!” Rin practically screams, gathering the entire room’s attention. _

_Mephisto sighs, long and overly-dramatic. “Because I can not have you interfering like that. Not now. We need to extract as much information as we can, and that is not happening as long as you’re present. Don’t you remember what happened the last time the two of you were in the same room? Besides, we could use you as emotional manipulation once we find out if he feels any sort of remorse regarding specifically what he did to you.”_

_Rin’s mouth twists into a furious snarl. “You’re not using me as some sort of manipulation card against my brother, fuck no!” _

_Mephisto’s smirk falls flat, and the air around them gets colder. The loud and hurried sounds of the hospital die down to soft static._

_“The Fated Day is almost here, little brother, and from now on I need you to understand that duty and choice are two completely different things from which you’ll have to chose in order to save everything and everyone you’ve ever loved.”_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re not alone, Rin. And neither is Yuki-chan.”

He wasn’t aware of the soft groan that left his lips as he stirred, nor did he hear the first five times his name was spoken softly. His head felt stuffed with cotton, too heavy and too light at the same time. His whole body was numb, and the simple act of wiggling his fingers took way too much energy and effort.

“Yukio?” Renzõ whispered for the sixth time, earning a pitiful sigh from one of the guards.

“…nzõ?” The taller boy mumbled, attempting to open his eyes more. Finally, after a few more desperate blinks he’s able to make out the shadow of Renzõ’s hospital bed, lying a few feet away from his own.

“Yukio, hey.” The pink-haired boy attempts to shift to his side, but finds himself hissing in pain, giving up. He keeps his head turned to the other boy, though, only keeping the guards at the edge of his line of sight. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Yukio grumbles out, taking a few deep breaths.

They hold themselves back from speaking more than that. Renzõ thought it was the best way to let everyone know that they _can_ speak and it’s their choice not to.

He’s been awake for barely over an hour, basking in the peaceful silence that greeted him. The monitors reading their vitals beeped softly to their own, slightly off-beat rhythm. He’d allowed himself to close his eyes and just _breathe_, something he hadn’t done in a very, very long time.

The handcuffs currently holding his left wrist to the side of the bed had engraving on it that kept him from being able to summon Yamantaka. The pink-haired boy wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse, and his right hand tingled with the need to wrap itself around his k’rik.

It was moments like these where he was glad to have been raised as a monk. He could easily just keep his eyes closed tightly and clear his mind.

Granted, as a hyperactive child he never liked sitting around doing absolutely nothing, but the stern looks he’d get from his family drove him to eventually enjoy meditating. It wasn’t so bad after all, once he got a big old demon riding along in his head, sucking at his soul and draining him of his energy.

Now, meditation is the best way to pass the time, specially as a spy. It has saved his life multiple times, and this is no exception.

He was getting really into it, his breathing so slow it made the monitors flash multiple lights, when a soft groan dragged him back to the sickly white hospital room. It was so soft, he’s sure the guards missed it, that first time. Then the boy moaned again, slightly louder, and Renzõ knew the taller boy was awakening.

He looked past Yukio’s hospital bed at the large window and allows a soft sigh accompanied by a gentle cough leave him. Judging by the sun’s position it should be a few minutes past nine a.m. yet not even the occasional nurse had bothered to walk in. It’s been four days now since Bon and Izumo interrogated them last. Four days since he saw them clutching their notebooks to their chests and muttering variations of the same gruelling questions they’d been asking them ever since they stumbled back into True Cross Town. Sometimes they were accompanied by someone like one of the Arc Knights or any other high-ranking exorcist, but with the disaster that the Artificial Gehenna Gate left, the Japan Branch seems to be short of staff so they’re content with leaving the exwires to overlook the situation once they assessed just how poorly the two ‘criminal’s’ health was.

Whatever the reason is for their absence it can’t be good, though Renzõ can’t really complain. Not having one of his closest friends, as well as one of his own victims constantly pressuring him and toying with his emotions has done wonders to his recovery process. Slowly but surely, he’s been able to feel his soul recovering from the hits it’d received, using its power to heal his body. He tries to convince himself that it’s all good, that the sooner he heals, the easier it’ll be to fight in The Fated Day.

Key word, _tries_.

He eyed the two guards that currently stood in the shadows at the back of the small room. In approximately two hours there’ll be a rotation. These two guys will leave, and two new ones will enter. Of course, it’s never the same two people. They always change, from adding new people to mixing up the pairs. The spy has to give it to them, they really are making an effort.

The door opens, revealing the always too serious blonde doctor that’s been treating both of them. He mutters a quiet greeting, approaching the monitors. He makes a few notes on his clip-board before setting it on the little table that sat in the middle of the two beds.

He turns to Yukio, pulling the heavy cotton covers off his body revealing a litany of bandages. He undoes a few of them, making sure the wounds are healing nicely before covering them again. He makes a vague gesture with his hand, and two nurses walk in. They hand him a syringe, which must contain more antibiotics, and adds them to Yukio’s IV bag.

The dark-haired boy watches him intently, squinting against the intense light. The doctor notices this, and he speaks his first formal words.

“Your left eye is still sensible to intense lighting,” he says, grabbing the clipboard again. “There haven’t been any changes in colour, and according to the latest tests performed two days ago, your sight is nearly perfect. At this point we must consider this as an unfortunate, irreversible side effect.”

He takes his pen, clicking on the other side of it to reveal a white light. He points it at Yukio’s right eye and watches the pupil contract, revealing more of its green-blue colour. Then he moves to the left, watching as the pupil contracts at the same speed, this time revealing a deep, electric blue colour. Yukio takes a sharp intake of breath, flinching as the bright light punches right through his nerves.

The doctor clicks off the light, putting the pen back in his pocket.

“Your wounds are healing at a normal speed. The antibiotics are doing their job at avoiding any infections so far, and your blood tests came back better that last week’s. In other words, your health has improved drastically.”

The doctor eyes him for a few seconds, pulling the covers back over Yukio’s body. The boy tries desperately to avoid making eye contact, staring up at the ceiling and fighting to keep his face neutral.

“You had great potential to become a doctor someday. I still remember the first time Fujimoto brought you for a check up after your first mission. If only you’d chosen the right path.”

With that the blonde man turns to Renzõ. He uncovers him, checks his wounds, paying special attention to his side, and pulls the covers back.

“Looks like that wound is healing better than I’d expected, though considering your blood is strong enough to hold a high-level familiar, I’m not surprised. Your blood tests continue to come out normal, though the monitor keeps signalling low oxygenation levels.”

The doctor signals to one of the nurses for another syringe. This one, Renzõ is sure, contains sedatives with some more morphine to help with the constant pain. He keeps his eyes glued to the ceiling, trying to follow Yukio’s method of avoiding any form of eye contact.

Within a few minutes the doctor and the nurses are gone. The room is quiet once again, except for the constant, now distant beeping of machines. Outside the sun is sitting a little higher, almost at the centre of the bright blue sky. Not a single cloud can be seen yet hordes of coal tars and many other demons litter it’s cool-toned colour. The condensation in the glass tells the boy just how cold the weather is outside, though the heavy snow storms from a few weeks back have disappeared.

Then his eyes shift down, and he’s met with Yukio’s breath-taking stare. Those multicoloured eyes that hypnotise the pink-haired boy, that reminded him of why he was still fighting, that kept him warm in cold, restless nights…

~°~

_“You’re shaking.” Yukio whispered, clasping a gloved hand in his own. _

_“Yeah, no shit.” Renzõ’s voice is shaky, yet still kept its usual sharp and cocky tone. “We’re in a cold ass cave in the middle of the Arctic tundra for fucks sakes!” _

_Yukio hums, shifting closer to the boy. “At least we’re not being chased around anymore.”_

_“For now.” _

_A comfortable silence sits between them. The only sounds are their breathing echoing through the empty walls of the dark, small cave. Yamantaka’s black flame stands in front of them, fighting to warm both boys up just enough so that neither of them dies of frostbite before reaching their destination. _

_Renzõ sighs, pulling his knees closer to his body. Having his back pressed against the ice-cold rock wall had been torture at first, but he’d slowly gotten used to it. Yukio on the other hand didn’t seem as affected by the cold as he was. It seemed logical enough, having been born in the heart of winter (plus, his _name_ says it all) while Renzõ is all about summertime and hot weather. _

_The pink-haired boy reaches for his bag, taking out two food bars. He gives one to Yukio who gratefully takes it and without a second thought starts munching on it. _

_“It was really stupid, what you did back there.” Renzõ said, fiddling with the bar’s foil wrapper. He gets it open, and eagerly takes a generous bite from it. _

_The taller teen sighs, waiting to swallow before answering. “You threw yourself at those demons not ten minutes after I did. Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical of you?” _

_Renzõ rolls his eyes, not bothering with manners and openly talking with a full mouth. “I’m trained to pull shit like that. You’re not. Besides… you’ve been through a lot recently, I don’t want you getting hurt.” _

_Yukio waits a few seconds before turning to Renzõ. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry. We both should focus on returning to True Cross in one piece.” _

_Renzõ’s eyes glue to Yukio’s. Words of protest form in his head, ready to exit his mouth. Instead, what he ends up saying is: “Your eye’s getting darker.”_

_The fire crackles in its place, as if supporting the pink-haired boy’s comment. The lighting inside the cave is limited, but he’s met those eyes so many times now, he really believes he can recall every single detail present in them. _

_From the day they left the Dominus Liminis, Yukio’s left eye has been gradually getting a darker shade of blue so different from his blue-green, almost teal shade into a darker royal blue. It definitely has something to do with Satan leaving his eye, though so far there hasn’t been any other side effects that could eventually be worrisome except for a lingering migraine, but he’s handling that. _

_“I’m fine.” _

_Renzõ rises an eyebrow, clearly doubting the boy. _

_“Really, I’m good.” _

_The pink-haired boy’s eyebrow nearly reaches his hairline. “I know your head hurts.” _

_Yukio sighs. “Fine. I promise I won’t jump at demons like that unless it’s really necessary. There.” _

_Renzõ smirks. “You forgot something.” _

_“What?” Yukio frowns, and Renzõ can’t help but lean closer to him. _

_“Promises have to be sealed in some way, right?” And with that, he gently brushes his cold, chapped lips against Yukio’s. _

_The younger boy sighs, letting himself melt against the kiss. It’s soft, tame and sweet, and it’s exactly what they both need after such a stressing day. It only lasts a few seconds, both becoming incredibly aware of just how exhausted they really are. _

_“We should try and get some sleep.” Yukio whispers against the other boy’s lips. _

_Renzõ nods and looks up at the makeshift fireplace to mutter a small prayer. “Yamantaka, I order you to keep watch over us. Alert me if anything happens.” _

_The Demon’s flame flickers in acknowledgement. And just like that, both boys slide down onto the hard rock flooring of the cave. Their thick coats provided some cushioning, through they felt so exhausted that their comfort didn’t really matter. Renzõ quickly cuddles up to the taller boy, trying to obtain as much of his body heat as possible. Yukio wraps his arm around him, pulling him closer, and without thinking too much about it he finally allows himself to close his eyes and let sleep overtake him. _

_They sleep for five long hours until a loud hum wakes Renzõ. He sits up, and the sudden movement wakes Yukio up. The share a look, analysing the slightly warmer atmosphere in the cave before finally hearing the faint sounds of footsteps over snow, wolf-like creatures howling, and the sharp click of metal against metal that Yukio knew belonged to firearms. _

_They wordlessly collect the few possessions they’d gathered before and headed to the very back of the cave where they’d previously dug an emergency exit. Just as they’re crawling out of the limited space, the sounds of footsteps get louder. _

_“It’s still warm, they’re close by!” They hear a woman scream over the heavy wind that plagues the outside. _

_The boys share a look, psyching themselves up before venturing back into the cold tundra. Renzõ looks down at his compass, pointing to the south-east. Yukio nods, looking at the wristwatch he’d been given, setting an alarm for exactly three and a half hours. _

_A loud howl signalled their enemies approaching, and with a heavy sigh both boys broke out in a sprint. _

_“Over there! Hurry! They’re getting away!” _

~°~

“I’m going to talk to Yukio.”

The whole room falls silent. Steam dances over warm cups of tea, and most of the evidence of Rin’s stress-cooking sits on the large table they all sat at. True Cross’ Old Boy’s Dormitory lacks the fancy heating systems the new dorms have, so most of the table’s occupants remained clad in their thick day-time jackets over their usual pyjamas.

Kuro lifted his head from his comfortable spot on Rin’s lap, narrowing his big yellow eyes at the Demon Prince. The other exwires kept their solemn expressions as they waited for the boy to answer, and Amaimon, well, he’d resigned himself to sit at the back of the room, completely immersed in his Nintendo DS.

“I- I think I can get him to talk, maybe.” Rin continues, looking down at his empty plate. “And if not… I don’t know. We’ll get some more information somehow.”

“Are you sure?” Bon asks, leaning over the table. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“Right. It’s totally fine if you want to wait a little more. It’s not like he’s going anywhere,” Izumo insists, nudging at Shiemi under the table.

“A-and I’m sure we can do other things in the meantime! L-like, maybe we could convince the Vatican to let us join the support groups around Tokyo!” The blonde girl says, turning to the blue-eyed boy and squeezing one of his hands between hers.

Rin shoots her a small, thankful smile, letting his eyes meet with every other pair at the table. “Thank you, guys, but I think I’m ready. I’ve been running away from reality for quite some time now, I really want to do better this time. I’m going to be the big brother Yukio needs right now and-”

His breath gets caught in his throat, and his eyes widen as the realization of just _what_ he’s going to say hits him. Shiemi notices this, and she squeezes his hand reassuringly. The boy takes a deep breath and speaks. No more running away, no more pushing shit down – other than the constant pounding in his head screaming Satan’s name over and over and over again.

“And I’m going to tell him what I know about how we were both born.”

“What?” Bon frowns, confusion written all over his face. “I thought all records of your birth were gone?”

“They were, but,” Rin meets the boy’s brown eyes. “Mephisto took me back in time to see everything. That’s why I was gone for so long.”

The dark-haired boy’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. “Seriously?!”

“Yeah…” He reaches up to rub at the back of his neck as he continues talking. “He gave me the fancy exorcist uniform to hide me and then threw me back in time. I saw my mom, and dad… Shiro Fujimoto, not Satan, though I also saw Satan and… yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell us? Are you ok?” Konekomaru speaks for the first time that morning, his hands still wrapped around the warm tea cup. His eyes shine with concern, and it once again tugs at Rin’s heart. _How could he ever deserve such good friends?_

“Honestly I…” He turns to Shiemi, and once he sees that reassuring smile, he squares up. “I didn’t want any of you guys to hate me.”

Bon’s eyebrows still sit mid-forehead as he speaks. “Why would we hate you? It’s not like you had any choice in being born.”

Rin sighs, long and hard. “You don’t know anything… but you will. When I tell Yukio, I want all of you there with us. I want you guys to know, too.” He turns to the blonde girl, still clutching his hand like her life depends on it. “Shiemi already knows most of it, but there’s still some things I couldn’t say back then, so…”

“So, we’re coming with you, right guys?” Shiemi waits for everyone to nod before continuing. “You’re not alone, Rin. And neither is Yuki-chan.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “…what in the actual Hell…?”

The sun is beginning to set when the hospital room door opens abruptly. Two guards, accompanied by a team of half a dozen nurses invade the room, barely leaving space for the doctor to walk in and stand right in the middle of both beds. He was holding his usual clip-board, though the air of urgency he carried with him was new.

“How’re the vitals looking?” He asks, shifting through countless papers.

“They’ve been stable for the past six days, doctor.”

The doctor nods, and finally sets the chunk of papers containing what looked like the boys’ entire medical history aside. He approaches Renzõ first, checking on all the minor injuries as well as the big gash that covered most of his left side. He props him to sit up, using a stethoscope to listen to his lungs. The pink-haired boy’s cough had lessened considerably, which did wonders to the pain in his side.

Once he deems Renzõ healthy, he moves on to Yukio.

Doing a similar examination, he ends it with a look at Yukio’s unusual eyes before making a few last notes on his note pad.

“All looks good.” He pulls out one of the papers, signing it. “Give this authorization order to Arch Knight Redarm, please.” He hands it out to one of the guards who nods and quickly leaves the room.

Yukio opens his mouth to ask what was happening, but quickly reminded himself that he wasn’t allowed to.

“Sir Pheles has requested your urgent move to Faust’s mansion, but first you had to be evaluated in order to deem you out of danger. Your wounds are almost fully healed, though you should continue administrating antibiotics. The guards will take care of sedatives and things alike. From this moment on, True Cross Knight’s General Hospital revokes its temporary custody of penitents Shima Renzõ and Okumura Yukio.”

The doctor gives both boys one last, pitiful grimace before turning around and exiting the hospital room. The other nurses follow behind him, leaving only three guards in the room with them.

One of them steps forward, carrying two sets of clothes. They wordlessly give them to the boys, who slowly, carefully get out of the hospital robes and into their new pair of grey sweatpants, really not in the mood to care if they see them in just their underwear at this point. Once they’re done with that, another guard gets them out of their handcuffs, allowing them to put on the long-sleeved shirts they’d been given. A silver bracelet is placed on Renzõ’s wrist almost immediately after.

“We’ll wait for our partner to come back with back up and then we’ll begin your transfer.”

All the guards wore a piece of black cloth to cover half their faces, only leaving their eyes exposed. It should’ve made it easier for them to ignore their constant presence, but thanks to their overly-trained instincts, it only made them more conscious of them. Being well acquainted with most of the Japan Branch’s exorcists has made it easier to identify most of the guards. Some were people they knew by sight, but others were people that once provided a good piece of advice, or gave a small, encouraging smile as they walked past each other in the long halls of the cram school.

It definitely made the gut-wrenching fury inside them ignite, motivating them to hold on and simultaneously breaking them further.

They waited for exactly thirteen minutes (Renzõ had been counting every single second) before there was another knock on the door. This time, two heavily-armed men walked through, closely followed by two other guards pushing an empty wheelchair each. The other three guards got to action, carefully tossing them onto the wheelchairs and proceeding to roll them out. Once outside, they were escorted onto a black van, flanked by a dozen more armed guards.

It flattered Yukio to know that the Order considered it necessary to have so many personnel escort them to Mephisto’s mansion. This meant that, not only did they consider him _capable_, but they feared him just as much as they feared the Illuminati. He looks back at Renzõ and he finds the small hint of a smug smirk on his face. He knew the boy had to be thinking something similar, and the boost to his confidence grew.

They’ll be fine.

The ride from the hospital to the very top of True Cross Town was long and awkward as Hell. They were both used to crowded silences, but there was something about this one that made it harder to endure. Perhaps the fact that they are being regarded as hard criminals has something to do with it.

When they finally arrive to Johan Faust’s living quarters, they are swiftly moved onto a big room that had been accommodated to resemble a hospital room. **Great**. More white emptiness, complete with the smell of bleach and antiseptics. At least these new beds are way more comfortable than the others.

Sooner than they thought, they’re left alone. Carefully sitting up, Yukio counts two security cameras, one at each side of the room, pointing directly at their hospital beds. The blind spots are positioned in such a way that it made it incredibly hard to attempt an escape, not that he really wanted to go through all the trouble at the moment.

Renzõ struggled to sit up, his wound still bothering him a lot, but eventually he managed to pull the surprisingly soft pillow against the wall to elevate his back in a soft angle. He turned to Yukio, who pointed at the camera and tapped his finger twice against the bed’s metal railing. Two cameras, one window that covered half of the far-back wall, and most likely some hidden demons ready to attack at the slightest false move.

Renzõ looked down at the silver bracelet that had replaced the handcuffs. Its engravings still prevented him from summoning Yamantaka but closing his eyes he’s able to form a small, weak connection. Hopefully that’ll be enough.

Not being held back by handcuffs anymore, both boys wave their left arms awkwardly, basking in the feeling of relief in their aching, cramped muscles.

Renzõ hisses, opening and closing his hand whilst bending his elbow. “Damn, I forgot how much this hurt. How’s your shoulder?” His voice is slightly raspy from misuse, which helps him keep it as low as possible in the too-big, too-open room.

Yukio makes a few shrugging motions, wincing at the sharp bite of pain that follows. “I can move it, and it doesn’t hurt as much as I thought it would,” he answers back, voice equally low and raspy.

The pink-haired boy sighs. “That’s good.”

“How’s your side? Your ribs?” Yukio asked, keeping his eyes glued to Renzõ’s.

“Much better. Ever since that damn cough went away, anyways.”

They maintain eye contact, trying to convey words they don’t want to say out loud. None of them have ever really been open before. Being sensitive, emotional kids exposed to gruelling training and rough treatment has turned them into closed books. But after everything they’ve been through together, they’ve found that words aren’t everything, and it’s easier to break a few walls with one stare, than one word.

Slowly, hesitantly, Renzõ reaches out a shaky hand, extending it as far as he can reach in the space between their beds. Yukio eyes it for a second, hesitantly reaching out with his. Their fingers brush in the space between them, letting only the tips of their fingers lock in a tight, reassuring hold. It breaks out a turmoil of butterflies inside their tummies, a fiery blush taking over their sickly pale faces.

Shit is about to go down in the universe, and this quiet reminder of what matters is exactly what they need.

Disbelief, anger, fear, happiness, love, it all mixes their overly-repressed feelings. It starts with a small, almost sad smile which in turn begins to morph into a full-on cackle. Its loud, intense, and a few tears exit the corners of their crinkled eyes, but it’s the best outlet they have at the moment.

“We’re fucking insane!” Renzõ cries out, gasping for breath.

“Shit… We really are!” Yukio answers in a similar cry, his body shaking with the effort.

The loud cackles slowly break down into slight chuckles, and a few minutes later, just as it came, it goes away. The room falls silent, except for their desperate panting and sighs of relief.

“Fuck… I really needed that.” Yukio says, leaning back against the soft, fluffy pillow.

“Me too.” Renzõ agrees, clutching the soft cotton covers in tight fists.

They let the conversation die down after that.

~°~

“…what in the actual Hell…?” Bon is the only one that manages to speak out.

Everyone looks at the big monitor with a mixture of fear and complete confusion that renders them speechless. Specially Rin, who’s grip on the wooden chair Shiemi sat on has left dents and claw marks in the dark wood.

“Huh,” Arch Knight Osceola Redarm hums, eyeing the now ‘resting’ boys. “Interesting.”

“That venting technique still gives me chills.” Arch Knight Lucy Yang says from her place on Osceola’s shoulder, the smoke of her cigarette floating away behind her.

“V- venting technique? Is that…?” Konekomaru manages to get out, his arms tightly wrapped around himself in a comforting manner.

Osceola stands up straight, still not letting his eyes leave the screen. “It’s their way of letting their stuff out so it doesn’t cramp up too much inside them. Whoever trained them did a good job with this stuff. People usually go on a killing streak at this point.”

Everyone freezes up at their words. A loud crack breaks the silence, and every pair of eyes meets the spot where a whole wooden chair used to stand.

Shiemi lets out a scared yelp, jumping off her seat. Rin shoots her an apologetic frown, to which she shakes her head and proceeds to lean onto Rin in a half-hug.

“This means they’re extremely conscious of their actions, though we still need to know if they’ve been coerced to anything at any point. If they weren’t minors, they’d already be rotting in the Vatican’s prison.” Osceola continues. “Anyways, they’re officially under your care for now. Lucy and I must go back to the Vatican now. I got word that Miss Kirigakure will be released from the hospital soon, so you won’t be completely alone. If anything happens, contact the Vatican as soon as possible. We put our trust in you.”

With that, both Arch Knights leave. The silence only lasts for a few torturous seconds before both Mephisto and Amaimon walk in.

“I just had Belial deliver them some food,” Mephisto exclaims, pausing once he catches sight of the destroyed chair. He shoots Rin a glare, who answers back with an even angrier glare. The Demon King sighs, short and forced, and continues. “You’ll talk to them once they’re done eating.”

Rin nods, hiding his hesitance. His hands wrap into tight fists by his sides and his tail flops dangerously still behind him. He feels everyone’s eyes on his back, and it only makes him square up more.

Mephisto smirks, enjoying the tension in the room. “Should I have Amaimon inside just in case?” He asks, already knowing the answer.

“Fuck no,” Rin growls out.

The Demon King in question sighs in relief, taking another chip from the bag he’s currently holding and chewing loudly.

“Fine,” Mephisto says in that infuriating soft tone of his. “But I’ll still be watching from here. Remember, we can not risk _anything_.” His eyes turn sombre at that last sentence, and suddenly the room feels a bit too cold. “Do you already know what you’re going to say?”

Rin huffs. “I’ll just tell them everything you showed me.”

“Everything?” A sparkle ignites in Mephisto’s eyes, something that Rin doesn’t dare to call ‘hopeful’.

“Yes.” The Demon Prince wraps his tail around his torso, the fluffy white turf at the very end brushing against his hands. He brings it up and longingly stares at the appendage as he continues speaking. “I know what it feels like to not be told things. I always understood why my brother has always been so angry, but the one thing that makes us so different is that I never really cared about it since I didn’t want to get hurt. I would’ve rather lived in ignorance than in pain. But the one thing Yukio hates more than losing is being ignorant.”

Mephisto chuckles. “Indeed. He’s just a simple human, after all.”

“No, he’s not.” Rin looks up at him, his royal blue eyes narrowing. “He’s a half-demon, just like me. And it’s time we both learn to accept that.”

That same ‘hopeful’ spark ignites again in the Demon King’s inhumanly green eyes. He lets out a small chuckle, in a way that would’ve seemed condescending to Rin if it weren’t for the big smile that exposed his white fangs in a way he’s never seen before. “Splendid!”

A soft knock on the door stops Rin from asking the Demon King just what the Hell was that supposed to mean. Belial respectfully shuffles into the room, keeping the door wide open behind him. “The guests have been fed, my Lord.”

“Excellent.” Mephisto grabs onto Amaimon’s forearm and drags him to the door. “Now it’s your chance to change the course of future actions. Make fair use of it, little brother.” And with that, both Demon Kings, as well as Belial, leave the room.

“I’m **not** your little brother you creep,” Rin mutters under his breath.

“…Rin?” Shiemi’s bell-like voice says softly behind him. He turns and meets his friend’s eyes. He sees the determination in them, despite everything that’s happened they still stand strong behind him. He smiles gratefully at them, giving them the best reassuring look he can manage. Soft licks of flames ignite over his shoulders, and his Demon Heart pulses in his chest with newfound determination.

“Well, let’s go talk to those two assholes.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Please, just… We’re all making an effort here.”

The soft sounds of their breaths are enough to lull them into the most relaxed state they’ve ever been. It feels like they’re floating, and for a seconds Yukio wonders if there were some powerful sedatives hidden in their food.

He sighs, looking over at Renzõ. The pink-haired boy looks just as peaceful as he feels, and it makes something flutter in the taller boy’s tummy. He decides to lay back and close his eyes.

Sleep doesn’t crawl its way inside his head right away. Instead, those haunting whispers and echoes of past memories creep in, ready to attack.

_“Yukio, I- I think I’m dying…”_

Thankfully the door swings open soon enough, chasing them away.

In walk Bon and Izumo, not meeting their eyes straight away. Once they do, they’re surprised to see both Yukio and Renzõ slowly sitting up, meeting their eyes. Izumo keeps her face neutral, almost cold and uncaring, whilst Bon’s twists into an almost painful frown.

“We’re just letting you know beforehand,” Bon says, his tone strong and resigned. “Rin wants to talk to all of us.”

Izumo doesn’t miss the way Yukio’s face pales, though she must give him props for how well he manages to hide his reaction. They must’ve known this would happen eventually. The dark-haired girl shares a look with Bon, who nods and makes his way out of the room. He stops by the doorway, looking back at Renzõ one last time.

“Please, just… We’re all making an effort here.” With that, he leaves the room, leaving the door wide open.

It’s a full minute of agonizing wait when, finally, they walk back in again, followed by Konekomaru, Shiemi, and…

“Hey,” Rin says, his eyes barely scanning over Renzõ before jumping straight onto Yukio’s. His face is pale, he notes, and his cheeks are a bit hollower than the last time he saw him, not to mention his _eyes_\- “I uh, there’s a lot I have to tell you so… yeah.”

Yukio watches his twin as he drags a chair from the back of the room onto the middle of the two hospital beds. With the white hair, grown fangs, and that long tail, he thinks they’ve never looked more different. Rin’s skin is pale and smooth while Yukio’s is a tiny bit tanner, plagued by scars and barely-healed cuts. But most importantly, the power that seems to irradiate from Rin, making the hairs on Yukio’s arms stand straight up.

Rin sits down heavily, his tail whipping from behind him to rest gracefully on his lap. He’s wearing his favourite hoodie, Yukio notices, with a cartoon owl printed onto the light-blue fabric, and navy blue sweatpants.

_‘It’s better than the damn t-shirt and old black sweatpants he wore to battle The Impure King,’_ Yukio notices, keeping his face neutral. Their eyes meet again, and Rin lets out a shaky sigh.

“When I was… unconscious,” Rin begins. “Mephisto took me here, to his mansion. He said it was time for me to know the truth, and I agreed. So…”

Yukio’s heart beats fast in his chest, and he’s glad he’s no longer plugged into a monitor that would expose his vitals to the whole room.

“Shura told us our mom’s name before, Yuri Eigyn, but other than the fact that she and dad knew each other, we were in the dark about her.” Rin bites his lip, looking down at his tail on his lap. “I thought that was enough. Just knowing that she was nice and pretty… because I knew the truth would hurt too much. And it does. It fucking hurts so much… but I also understand the need to know. Even though it hurts, it does help explain some things… You deserve to know, too.”

“Mom was an orphan, too. Her mom left her because she was sick and couldn’t take care of her. She was raised by a group of homeless people, two of them were retired exorcists. For some reason, she could always see demons. I don’t know how she got a temptaint but… she was never afraid of demons. That weirdo made friends with them, always eager to play with the ugliest bastards she came across. There was this one demon she really liked – a blue flame that would appear from time to time. She- She called it **_Rinka_**.”

A bitter laugh leaves Rin. He tightens his hands into fists on his lap flinching when he accidentally squeezes his sensitive tail.

“One day, the abandoned building they used as a home caught on fire. Everyone died except for mom… she didn’t get hurt, but she was left alone. For a while she had to walk around, begging for food and shelter. She was only six years old at the time… Then, she met dad.”

“Suguro told me you know about dad being a clone created by the Order. He was put through lots of awful stuff and ended up running away many times. This time was his last, though. He’d set up camp in such a way that it looked like just another pile of trash. Inside he had food, and a bed, all from selling old newspapers and working around. Mom gave him a nickname right away. She said, ‘_you’re so tall and cold, just like the **Yukiotoko**!_’ Oh, if only she knew…”

Rin pauses again, still not daring to meet Yukio’s eyes.

“Eventually the Order found them, and once they realised mom had a temptaint, they took her with them. There, she was put into Asylum, an orphanage run by the Order for kids with temptaints. They trained them to become exorcists. It was hard but… dad wanted to become an exorcist. It was better than being used as a lab rat, and mom didn’t seem to mind much.”

“Dad was a big asshole at first. Mom had this big, obvious crush on him, and no one understood why. He was bitter and grumpy… like his usual self, times one thousand. By the time he came around though, it was too late.”

“Dad wasn’t close to any of the other clones, except for Goro. They were the only survivors of their group, but Goro wasn’t like dad. He had the mind of a baby. Couldn’t speak, couldn’t even eat on his own… so he stayed at Asylum while dad studied to become an exorcist. Many years later, by the time dad becomes Paladin, Goro gets possessed by Satan. He escapes Section 13 and runs into mom. She recognizes him as **Rinka**, and…”

“Mom is sent in to ‘tame’ him, and she does. Eventually, they learn about who he is, but by then it’s too late. Satan gathers enough knowledge of the world and runs away.”

Rin risks a glance up at his brother. Yukio’s knuckles are white from his tight grip on the soft white covers. His lips are pressed together in a tight line, and his messy, dark brown hair covers his sombre eyes.

“Mom waits for him to come back. For some reason, she liked him. They…” He sighs, running a hand over his white hair, tugging on it slightly. “That’s when the whole thing with Shura happened. She didn’t want to take care of her in case Satan came back. And sure enough, when his body started to get all messed up, he ran back to the Order with an army of demons and demanded help. Mom learned that the Order planned to stall him until his body decayed enough to send him back to Gehenna and she decided to run away with him. Dad tried to stop her, but she was very stubborn.”

Once again, a bitter yet painful smile grows on the boy’s face.

“She doesn’t get to run away, though. The Order finds out about her plan, and they’re stopped by an army of exorcists. That night… The Blue Night… Satan tried to defend himself, and mom, but he was sent back to Gehenna. Mom was taken as a prisoner and there… they found out she was pregnant.”

He takes a deep breath, shifting his eyes to the window at the back of the room. The sun is set up high, being the middle of the afternoon, and the sight of True Cross Town being plagued by demons shakes him. He turns his head back and meets Yukio’s multi-coloured eyes. 

“The whole thing was so… _humiliating_ for her. But no matter how bad it got, she never gave up on us. She loved us so much, she willingly gave her life for us, Yukio. A- and dad was right there with her the whole time, comforting her and making sure she was ok. I- I guess, with Goro being Satan’s vessel… dad really was our uncle, in some fucked up, twisted way.”

Rin leans forward in his seat, making sure Yukio’s attention is on him.

“Just because dad was a clone doesn’t mean he didn’t care for us. To him, we were _her_ children. He didn’t just raise us to make us weapons – he promised mom he would care for us like she would’ve done….”

Both twin’s eyes slowly grow wet with unshed tears, and never in his life had Yukio ever felt more broken. He doesn’t want to cry now, though. He’s already done enough of that throughout his life, but watching a few stray tears leave Rin punches a dry sob from him. It’s painful, and it makes him double over while wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

He can’t cry, he can’t speak, he can’t do anything but hold it all in and hope this raw pain goes away.

Of course, it doesn’t work like that. It never does, and now he hates himself for thinking it could ever be, specially with his big brother sitting _right there_.

Rin leaps forward and quickly wraps his arms around his little brother, hovering awkwardly over the hospital bed. Sobs immediately break through both boys, pain shaking them to their very cores. Rin’s demonic heart pulses in his chest, and with a painful crack it jumps out of his chest, hovering between both brothers. They both wipe at their tears hastily, taking deep breaths to control their rapid breathing and staring down with wide eyes at what could be described as the source of all their problems.

“That’s not all.” Rin says once his breathing is more-or-less stable. “The- The day we were born, I-”

“Rin…” Shiemi’s voice breaks through the thick atmosphere that formed inside the too-big white room. “You don’t have to say it. It’s ok.”

She remembers how hard it had been for Rin to tell her all this stuff before. How he’d held back from telling her lots of details he thought would make her hate him. But telling his own brother should be even more difficult, and maybe he shouldn’t push himself so hard all at once. Tears run freely down her cheeks, and her hand shakes in Izumo’s tight, comforting grip. Everyone in the room is shaken by the story, barely able to conceal tears, but Shiemi lets her own feelings out the same way she’d done that first time Rin spoke with her.

Rin turns to the blonde girl, shooting her a grateful smile. “I know, but I really need to. Everyone needs to know.” He takes a deep breath, turning back to Yukio.

“The day we were born… a big crowd of exorcists surrounded mom like vultures. No one knew what to expect of Satan’s spawns. They knew we were twins, and they knew I was the only one that seemed to have had inherited a portion of Satan’s power. You were too small and weak, they didn’t expect you to survive at all…” His eyes shine with unshed tears the same way Yukio’s did, and for the first time in a long time, he feels connected to his brother. The demonic heart pulses between them, sending a wave of blue shine to expand all over the room before disappearing, leaving only the soft shine that surrounded the demonic heart. “I-I was born first, and it was- I did- I couldn’t-”

A shaky breath leaves him. He turns his head back to the window, noticing that the sun had began its descent in the blue sky. Suddenly, he feels the slight touch of Yukio’s hand over his, and he turns around to see the tiny form of comfort Yukio was offering. Looking into the younger’s eyes, he knew he couldn’t do more than that. Rin’s lip wobbled in a shaky smile, silently thanking his twin for the impossible gesture.

“I _killed_ everyone,” he says in a haunting whisper. “Like a wild animal I just tore into the entire place with just a _thought_. Dad barely made it out alive and mom…” He swallows a sob that started to crawl up his throat. “Mom died a few days later.”

Silence fills the small room. Another sob punches its way out of both twins, except this time the heart seemed to sob, too. Its blue light got brighter, though for some reason it wasn’t blinding to either person in the room.

“This thing inside me, its too powerful for me to handle on my own. I always knew that, but recently I finally understood…” He reaches out slowly, gingerly taking hold of the flaming heart. “I was never meant to carry this alone. I was just carrying it until you could help me carry it, too.”

Yukio gasps, feeling the strong pull towards the thing in Rin’s hands tighten. Without thinking too much about it, he reaches over and brushes his hands under Rin’s, feeling the weight of the strange yet familiar _thing_. Realization of just what Rin is implying hits him.

Yukio’s eyes widen in horror, unconsciously shaking his head in the tiniest movement. He presses his lips so tight together as to keep down all the words that fight to leave him.

Rin nods. “I’m not asking you to take it now, I just need you to know that I can’t do this alone. I’ve never been able to. But that doesn’t make either of us weak. If anything, it makes us stronger, ok?”

Yukio sighs, not daring to move in the slightest. He closes his eyes and holds his breath, though his blotchy face is still in view.

Renzõ can only look at him from his place a few feet away. His heart aches for him, knowing everything he’s already been through was enough to break the boy, this must’ve wrecked what little he had left. His shaky hands holding the covers in a death grip, his legs instinctively folding themselves just slightly, ready to hide the boy’s face between his knees…

And then there’s the looks Bon and Konekomaru keep shooting him with, all a mixture of curiosity and hope. He manages to keep a straight face, though his slightly long nails dig crescent moons onto the meaty flesh of the palm of his hands.

“I know there’s a reason why you can’t talk to us right now,” Rin finally whispers, loud enough for everyone to hear. “I understand. We won’t bother you guys again, alright? Just… please talk to me as soon as you can, _please_.”

~°~

Somehow, it’s easier for everyone to fall asleep that night. The secrecy that surrounded the twins since the moment Rin entered True Cross Academy was finally starting to clear. Rin let them know that there were still some things he needed to tell them, but that could wait. After the bomb of information that hit them, they were more than content with it.

Shura had arrived just in time to witness Rin’s storytelling through the wide screen in Mephisto’s office. As soon as the boy left Yukio and Renzõ’s room, she tackled him into the biggest hug, ignoring the way her ribs protested at the touch.

Everyone in general was so supportive of Rin, he was ecstatic. He’d finally been able to confirm that his little brother was still there, and soon enough everything would be over ad they could finally be twins again, perhaps even better than before.

Or so he foolishly thought.

The next morning, they all march back into Johan Faust’s mansion, only to find the place trashed. Panic wakes inside everyone as they search the place from top to bottom but to no avail.

Yukio and Renzõ are nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me on Tumblr!! @call-it-blue-flame


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